Then Along Came Spring
by Manatsubi
Summary: A collection of drabbles and oneshots centered on Kaname's 4-year-old son, Haru.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Then Along Came Spring

**Author:** Manatsubi

**Fandom: **Vampire Knight

**Characters/Pairing: **Zero x Kaname, various

**Rating: **M

**Genre:** Family, Romance

**Summary: **A collection of drabbles and oneshots centered on Kaname's 4-year-old son, Haru.

**Disclaimer: **Vampire Knight and all its characters © Hino Matsuri. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N:** I won't pretend to know any of the VK timelines; as a matter of fact, I won't pretend to be a complete fan of the series. But I do like Zero and Kaname, and a friend and I have been toying with the idea about what they'd be doing several years down the road after the series, _if_, of course, it doesn't go where it seems to be heading. Lol. All I can really say is that these stories are extremely_** AU and full of sap**_, and it might not even lick canon, but what the hell.

This is dedicated to her. She doesn't know I'm writing them, but wouldn't it be fun if she found out by accident? :P

* * *

01

* * *

Deep burgundy eyes blinked blearily, long lashes stirring the sleepiness that hung around them like mist. The sun had almost set; it was the start of a new day, and Kaname was all but enthusiastic to greet it.

"Good evening,"

That is, until now.

A smile spread sweetly on his face, followed by a purr just as saccharine as he turned to that whisper in the indigo haze of dusk.

"Zero," he murmured.

The edge of the bed dipped before a kiss found his lips, making Kaname close his eyes as he savored it. He was almost lulled back to sleep at its tenderness, making the blanket he was buried under a kind of honey warm. In it was everything that the pureblood and the hunter had held secret and sacrosanct for all those years, their bond strengthening in wistful moments like these where the other's heartbeat was his own.

"P'pa, is he awake yet?"

A tiny voice flitted from the doorway. Zero smiled.

"Oops, I forgot I was on a mission." the hunter chuckled, swiping his thumb reverently over Kaname's moist bottom lip.

"And were you successful at all in this 'mission'?" he grinned, throwing his arms over his head and stretching like a cat.

Zero gave him one last peck before reluctantly releasing him. "Incredibly."

Kaname's smile widened, butterflies tickling just beneath his cotton shirt.

Turning to his side, he cooed, "Good evening, Haru," and beckoned at the small shadow standing by the door.

Little footsteps padded across the room, a head of luxe brown curls snagging the fading light glimmering through the windows as it passed.

"G'd evenin', papa!" came the chirp that made Kaname's heart swell. The weight of a small body made a second dent on the bed as the tot painted his own little kiss on the pureblood's cheek. "Sleep well?"

"I certainly did," Kaname replied, running his fingers through curls very much like his own. "But waking up was even better."

A chubby hand tugged his, while the other linked with the hunter's.

"C'mon," the four-year-old beamed happily. "P'pa and I made waffles. My favorite!"

And thus, Kaname's Sunday began.

* * *

tbc

* * *

_Wednesday; July 18, 2012_


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** Then Along Came Spring

**Characters/Pairing:** Zero x Kaname, Kaitou x Aidou, various

**Rating: **M

**Genre:** Family, Humor, Romance

**Disclaimer:** Vampire Knight and all its characters © Hino Matsuri. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N:** I won't pretend to know any of the VK timelines; as a matter of fact, I won't pretend to be a complete fan of the series. But I do like Zero and Kaname, and a friend and I have been toying with the idea about what they'd be doing several years down the road after the series, if, of course, it doesn't go where it seems to be heading. Lol. All I can really say is that these stories are extremely _**AU and full of sap**_, and probably won't even lick canon, but what the hell.

Credit for most of the ideas in this lunacy goes to Shuki, and I dedicate this to her.

* * *

02

* * *

"Gone? What do you mean 'he's gone'?" Aidou shrieked. After all, that was never a good thing to hear when babysitting. Especially not when your ward was the sole heir to the powerful Kuran bloodline.

"He was in his room playing when I went to check a few minutes ago, now he's... Not there anymore," Ichijou explained. "Oh well, he's probably just around here somewhere."

Aidou couldn't believe his ears or his eyes when instead of the appropriate rush of alarm, the man calmly sat down on a plush chair, nonchalantly picked up his Kindle, and began to read.

"What are you doing? We have to find him!" He demanded, rushing towards the door.

"What for? He'll turn up sooner or later anyway." Ichijou distractedly replied, his eyes never leaving the small screen.

Aidou stopped mid-reach of the doorknob, his eyebrows shooting up in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? He's four; he's not just gonna pop out of the ground like a daisy!" Not that that imagery isn't cute...or that it hasn't happened before.

"'Somewhere' for a kid alone in an ancient manor like this might as well be walking into a black hole for all he knows! And what if his head gets stuck some crack in the wall and he couldn't get it out? I'll tell you right now that 'here' is where Kaname-sama will stick us through the ground like a tent peg, screaming. So we - no, _you_ - absolutely can _not_ be this cool about losing that kid, Ichijou!" Small hands started pulling at blonde hair as he wore out the hardwood floors by pacing restlessly back and forth. Scenario after scenario of disaster played in his head, all of them spelling out his inevitable doom.

Babysitting the little prince was always a joy, but it was never without its harrowing moments especially since Haru was so prone to mischief. One of his favorite stunts to pull was escaping his sitters, and it was always twice the fun when it was Aidou's shift.

"Why are you still sitting there? We have to find him now!"

The man could barely keep his giggles from bubbling out of him, but he tried. He really did.

"Oh will you relax, Hanabusa," he admonished merrily. "Haru's too smart to get into serious trouble."

Aidou's frown deepened. "What makes you think that's comforting?"

He sank on his knees beside Takuma's chair all jittery. "Do you remember when he scared the bejesus out of one of the maids when he suddenly flew out of the dryer? Or when he slipped into the attic and broke Juri-sama's mirror? Have you also forgotten about the time when we let him watch Peter Pan and he almost jumped off the bookshelf thinking he could fly? Who the hell makes movies like that anyway? It's so inappropriate for kids! What was Disney thinking!" he added under his breath.

Ichijou's sides were already hurting having busted his seams apart at that look of sheer catatonic panic on Aidou's face. But still, all he could offer the boy was an offhanded shrug. Aidou tearing up was a pitiful sight, but Ichijou just couldn't help it.

"All of which happened under your watch, by the way." he pointed out, earning him a sharp glare.

"What? Just saying," It was true anyway.

"Look on the bright side," the man said, patting him firmly on the shoulder. "Here comes Kaname, he can help us look for him."

Aidou paled. Ichijou lost it.

* * *

o0o

* * *

"I spy with my little eye," Zero peered down the open fridge door, leaning his elbow against it. "Shouldn't you be upstairs, buddy?"

"P'pa!" came the small burst of giggles muffled by a mouthful of something soft and spongy. "Wan' s'me cake?"

"Yum, that sure looks good. But isn't that your aunt Yuuki's, though?" he chuckled, crouching beside him.

"Uhuh, it's d'licious!" the boy was unrepentantly cheerful.

"Haru..." But the hunter couldn't help inwardly melting. There the boy was, sitting on the floor in his astronaut pajamas with his mouth painted with icing and crumbs. It made for such an adorable sight Zero decided to save the sermon for later.

"How did you get down here anyway?" The kitchen, after all, was a few floors down from Haru's room. "Lost your wardens again, huh?"

"I told Takkun I w's hungry, so 'e said we could raid the kitch'n t'gether," the little boy grinned. "But he said not ta tell Hana-chama."

Zero caught the glimmer in the boy's eyes; he knew instantly that mischief was afoot.

"You really should give Aidou a break, you know. He worries about you, too. A bit too much sometimes, but you know his heart is in the right place." Zero said, sitting beside the tot on the rich marble floor, taking the fork and feeding his son a small helping.

"I know. Bu' he's fun!" Haru giggled, noming excitedly on the strawberry-laden piece.

"Can't say that isn't true, though," Zero sniggered, taking a mouthful for himself. "He's probably running around the house like a headless chicken by now." And it has happened before. Quite a number of times. "Anyway, you have to make it up to him this time, okay? I bet he'd like some of this cake. How about it?"

The little boy nodded. "M'kay!" The idea of sharing a treat with someone always did make him happy. He opened his mouth with a cute little "Aaa!" and Zero fed him another strawberry-sweet forkful.

* * *

o0o

* * *

"Express delivery for Aidou-sama."

Kaitou gently slipped a white box with dainty powder blue trim on the desk where the aristocrat was reviewing a stack of documents.

"Oh! Who's it from?"

"From a secret admirer. Dark hair, big eyes, four years old. Should I be jealous?" the hunter smirked, crossing his arms as he leaned against the desk.

A flurry of butterflies in his stomach made Aidou giggle. Kaitou always did have that effect on him.

"Nah, this is probably for yesterday; he does owe me big time for it." He stood up and smooched the hunter's delicate pout in belated greeting. He peered into the box and laughed: There it was, Haru's smiling face in lopsided icing and Skittles. A gooey warmth spread down Aidou's chest; it certainly made up for the near-cardiac arrest he had to suffer for the child's most recent stint.

"Again, huh?" Kaitou chuckled. "You have to hand it to that kid; he knows how to get a good laugh."

"Well, yeah, but sometimes I wish he could be just like his fathers and mope around in one place. At least you know where to find them." Aidou bemoaned, popping a Skittle into his mouth, sharing another with his lover's.

"They say it skips a generation," Kaitou remarked, Kaname's parents coming to mind; how two of the most powerful purebloods in the world could be so hilariously idiotic. Their story was practically legend, even throughout the Association.

"Oh well, who knows? If he grows up to be anything like Kaname-sama - and it does seem like he will, looks-wise anyway - maybe you should be jealous after all." Aidou shrugged nonchalantly.

"Now hold on just a minute there," Kaitou quirked an eyebrow at the aristocrat, pulling him over by the waist, pressing their bodies together. "Are you saying you still have a thing for Kuran? Because, as you well know, I don't take lightly to competition, especially not to a pureblood."

Aidou leaned his forehead against the man's, his grin suggestive and his whisper conspiratorial. "Like I said, who knows..."

Kaitou narrowed his eyes. "You sly little imp," he growled, taking the box from the boy's hands and gently pushing it across the desk where Aidou couldn't reach it.

"Haru's sweet and all, but no more babysitting for you."

* * *

tbc

* * *

_Sunday; July 22, 2012_


End file.
